Tuesday, May 31 2016 Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Reading 1 Zep 3:14-18a

Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!
Sing joyfully, O Israel!
Be glad and exult with all your heart, 
O daughter Jerusalem!
The LORD has removed the judgment against you,
he has turned away your enemies;
The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst,
you have no further misfortune to fear.
On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!
The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
a mighty savior;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
and renew you in his love,
He will sing joyfully because of you,
as one sings at festivals.

Or Rom 12:9-16

Brothers and sisters:
Let love be sincere;
hate what is evil,
hold on to what is good;
love one another with mutual affection;
anticipate one another in showing honor.
Do not grow slack in zeal,
be fervent in spirit,
serve the Lord.
Rejoice in hope,
endure in affliction,
persevere in prayer.
Contribute to the needs of the holy ones,
exercise hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you,
bless and do not curse them.
Rejoice with those who rejoice,
weep with those who weep.
Have the same regard for one another;
do not be haughty but associate with the lowly;
do not be wise in your own estimation.

Responsorial Psalm Isaiah 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5-6

R. (6) Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.
R. Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.
R. Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst 
is the Holy One of Israel!
R. Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.

Alleluia See Lk 1:45

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary, who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 1:39-56

Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Most blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”

And Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.”

Mary remained with her about three months
and then returned to her home.

REFLECTION

LATE, GREAT PENTECOSTS

"Mary set out, proceeding in haste into the hill country to a town of Judah, where she entered Zechariah's house and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leapt in her womb. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit." –Luke 1:39-41

About two weeks ago, the Lord gave you the Holy Spirit in a new Pentecost. Did you receive the gift of the Spirit? If so, you are acting as Mary did. You're probably visiting people to share with them Jesus in you. As you do this, they too are filled with the Spirit.

Pentecost is contagious. It is catalytic. One Pentecost leads to another. 120 people received the Holy Spirit the morning of the first Christian Pentecost, and by evening 3,000 had received the Spirit (Acts 1:15; 2:41). Pentecost is a movement with momentum. This is how the Spirit renews the face of the earth (Ps 104:30).

If you are out of the upper room, moving in the Spirit, and visiting, don't stop. Witness for Jesus right where you are and eventually to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

If you are still in the upper room, ask Mary to visit you so that you can get into the Acts of the Apostles. Consider this feast day a visitation and an opportunity for late, great Pentecosts. Come, Holy Spirit, again and again!

PRAYER:	"My being proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit finds joy in God my Savior" (Lk 1:46-47).
PROMISE:	"Do not grow slack but be fervent in spirit; He Whom you serve is the Lord." –Rm 12:11
PRAISE:	Mary's "Magnificat" has been prayed in the liturgy daily since before the year 502.

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The Lord be with you...

Monday, May 30 2016 Monday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 2 Pt 1:2-7

Beloved:
May grace and peace be yours in abundance
through knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

His divine power has bestowed on us
everything that makes for life and devotion,
through the knowledge of him
who called us by his own glory and power.
Through these, he has bestowed on us
the precious and very great promises,
so that through them you may come to share in the divine nature,
after escaping from the corruption that is in the world
because of evil desire.
For this very reason,
make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue,
virtue with knowledge, knowledge with self-control,
self-control with endurance, endurance with devotion,
devotion with mutual affection, mutual affection with love.

Responsorial Psalm PS 91:1-2, 14-15b, 15c-16

R. (see 2b) In you, my God, I place my trust.
You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
Say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
R. In you, my God, I place my trust.
Because he clings to me, I will deliver him;
I will set him on high because he acknowledges my name.
He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; 
I will be with him in distress.
R. In you, my God, I place my trust.
I will deliver him and glorify him;
with length of days I will gratify him
and will show him my salvation.
R. In you, my God, I place my trust.

Alleluia See Rv 1:5ab

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus Christ, you are the faithful witness,
the firstborn of the dead;
you have loved us and freed us from our sins by your Blood.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mk 12:1-12

Jesus began to speak to the chief priests, the scribes,
and the elders in parables.
“A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it,
dug a wine press, and built a tower.
Then he leased it to tenant farmers and left on a journey.
At the proper time he sent a servant to the tenants
to obtain from them some of the produce of the vineyard.
But they seized him, beat him,
and sent him away empty-handed.
Again he sent them another servant.
And that one they beat over the head and treated shamefully.
He sent yet another whom they killed.
So, too, many others; some they beat, others they killed.
He had one other to send, a beloved son.
He sent him to them last of all, thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’
But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’
So they seized him and killed him,
and threw him out of the vineyard.
What then will the owner of the vineyard do?
He will come, put the tenants to death,
and give the vineyard to others.
Have you not read this Scripture passage:

The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?”

They were seeking to arrest him, but they feared the crowd,
for they realized that he had addressed the parable to them.
So they left him and went away.

REFLECTION

LOVING YOUR CHILD'S MURDERERS

"It was the Lord Who did it and we find it marvelous to behold." –Mark 12:11

The owner of a vineyard sent slave after slave "to the tenants to obtain from them his share of produce from the vineyard" (Mk 12:2). "Some they beat; some they killed. He still had one to send – the son whom he loved. He sent him to them as a last resort, thinking, 'They will have to respect my son' " (Mk 12:5-6). "Then they seized and killed him and dragged him outside the vineyard" (Mk 12:8). The owner of the vineyard seems astoundingly naive for continuing to send slaves to almost certain beatings or death and then send his own son to be killed.

In this allegory, the owner of the vineyard represents God the Father. He sent prophet after prophet to turn us away from our sins. Almost all of these prophets were rejected. Many were murdered. Then God the Father sent His Son. Unlike the owner of the vineyard in the allegory, God the Father knew for certain that His Son, Jesus, would be tortured, nailed to a cross, and murdered. Nevertheless, He sent Jesus so that all could be saved from sin and death, and somewould be saved.

If you knew a person would be party to killing your child, would you send your child to him? Would you create a person whom you knew would drive a nail into your child or imbed a thorn into his head? God the Father did this when He created each one of us and sent His Son, Jesus, to save us. Why did He do this? "God is Love" (1 Jn 4:16).

PRAYER:	Father, may the love from the Spirit impel me (2 Cor 5:14). May I love others without counting the cost.
PROMISE:	"He has bestowed on us the great and precious things He promised, so that through these you who have fled a world corrupted by lust might become sharers of the divine nature." –2 Pt 1:4
PRAISE:	After a long struggle, Jane finally accepted God's forgiveness for aborting her daughter.

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The Lord be with you...

Sunday, May 29 2016 The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

Reading 1 Gn 14:18-20

In those days, Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine,
and being a priest of God Most High,
he blessed Abram with these words:
"Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
the creator of heaven and earth;
and blessed be God Most High,
who delivered your foes into your hand."
Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 110:1, 2, 3, 4

R. (4b) You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The LORD said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand
till I make your enemies your footstool."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The scepter of your power the LORD will stretch forth from Zion:
"Rule in the midst of your enemies."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
"Yours is princely power in the day of your birth, in holy splendor;
before the daystar, like the dew, I have begotten you."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.
The LORD has sworn, and he will not repent:
"You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek."
R. You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.

Reading 2 1 Cor 11:23-26

Brothers and sisters:
I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, 
that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, 
took bread, and, after he had given thanks,
broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you.
Do this in remembrance of me."
In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, 
"This cup is the new covenant in my blood.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, 
you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

Sequence - Lauda Sion

Laud, O Zion, your salvation,
Laud with hymns of exultation,
Christ, your king and shepherd true:

Bring him all the praise you know,
He is more than you bestow.
Never can you reach his due.

Special theme for glad thanksgiving
Is the quick’ning and the living
Bread today before you set:

From his hands of old partaken,
As we know, by faith unshaken,
Where the Twelve at supper met.

Full and clear ring out your chanting,
Joy nor sweetest grace be wanting,
From your heart let praises burst:

For today the feast is holden,
When the institution olden
Of that supper was rehearsed.

Here the new law’s new oblation,
By the new king’s revelation,
Ends the form of ancient rite:

Now the new the old effaces,
Truth away the shadow chases,
Light dispels the gloom of night.

What he did at supper seated,
Christ ordained to be repeated,
His memorial ne’er to cease:

And his rule for guidance taking,
Bread and wine we hallow, making
Thus our sacrifice of peace.

This the truth each Christian learns,
Bread into his flesh he turns,
To his precious blood the wine:

Sight has fail’d, nor thought conceives,
But a dauntless faith believes,
Resting on a pow’r divine.

Here beneath these signs are hidden
Priceless things to sense forbidden;
Signs, not things are all we see:

Blood is poured and flesh is broken,
Yet in either wondrous token
Christ entire we know to be.

Whoso of this food partakes,
Does not rend the Lord nor breaks;
Christ is whole to all that taste:

Thousands are, as one, receivers,
One, as thousands of believers,
Eats of him who cannot waste.

Bad and good the feast are sharing,
Of what divers dooms preparing,
Endless death, or endless life.

Life to these, to those damnation,
See how like participation
Is with unlike issues rife.

When the sacrament is broken,
Doubt not, but believe ‘tis spoken,
That each sever’d outward token
doth the very whole contain.

Nought the precious gift divides,
Breaking but the sign betides
Jesus still the same abides,
still unbroken does remain.

The shorter form of the sequence begins here.

Lo! the angel’s food is given
To the pilgrim who has striven;
see the children’s bread from heaven,
which on dogs may not be spent.

Truth the ancient types fulfilling,
Isaac bound, a victim willing,
Paschal lamb, its lifeblood spilling,
manna to the fathers sent.

Very bread, good shepherd, tend us,
Jesu, of your love befriend us,
You refresh us, you defend us,
Your eternal goodness send us
In the land of life to see.

You who all things can and know,
Who on earth such food bestow,
Grant us with your saints, though lowest,
Where the heav’nly feast you show,
Fellow heirs and guests to be. Amen. Alleluia.

Alleluia Jn 6:51

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the living bread come down from heaven, says the Lord;
whoever eats this bread will live forever.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 9:11b-17

Jesus spoke to the crowds about the kingdom of God,
and he healed those who needed to be cured.
As the day was drawing to a close,
the Twelve approached him and said,
"Dismiss the crowd
so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms
and find lodging and provisions;
for we are in a deserted place here."
He said to them, "Give them some food yourselves."
They replied, "Five loaves and two fish are all we have,
unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people."
Now the men there numbered about five thousand.
Then he said to his disciples,
"Have them sit down in groups of about fifty."
They did so and made them all sit down.
Then taking the five loaves and the two fish,
and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing over them, broke them,
and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.
They all ate and were satisfied.
And when the leftover fragments were picked up,
they filled twelve wicker baskets.

REFLECTION 

"INTENSELY EUCHARISTIC"

"This is My body, which is for you." –1 Corinthians 11:24

Jesus continues to say to each of us: "This is My body" and "This is My blood." Jesus says: "My flesh is real food and My blood real drink" (Jn 6:55). When we receive Holy Communion, we receive the body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus.

Most of us reading this believe in the miracle of Jesus' eucharistic presence. However, we may need to cry out to Jesus: "I believe. Help my lack of faith!" (Mk 9:24, our transl) How deeply do we believe in the Eucharist? How do our lives answer this question? Do you make any sacrifices necessary to receive Jesus daily in Communion? Would you walk twenty miles to go to Mass? Would you give up the possibility of having grandchildren by encouraging your only child to be a priest? Would you risk your life to receive Communion in Muslim countries or China? Do you make visits to the Blessed Sacrament? Do you try to make frequent holy hours before the Blessed Sacrament?

Pope St. John Paul II called us to be "intensely eucharistic" (Towards the Third Millennium, 55). If this book, One Bread, One Body, has been used by the Lord to deepen your faith in the Eucharist, please tell us and we will be forever thankful for the Lord letting us be part of His wondrous works. Praise our eucharistic Lord forever!

PRAYER:	Jesus, with great desire, I desire to receive You in Holy Communion (see Lk 22:15).
PROMISE:	"Then, taking the five loaves and the two fish, Jesus raised His eyes to heaven, pronounced a blessing over them, broke them, and gave them to His disciples for distribution to the crowd. They all ate until they had enough." –Lk 9:16-17
PRAISE:	"Sweet Sacrament, we Thee adore. O make us love Thee more and more."

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The Lord be with you...

Saturday, May 28 2016 Saturday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Jude 17, 20b-25

Beloved, remember the words spoken beforehand
by the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit.
Keep yourselves in the love of God
and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ
that leads to eternal life.
On those who waver, have mercy; 
save others by snatching them out of the fire;
on others have mercy with fear,
abhorring even the outer garment stained by the flesh.

To the one who is able to keep you from stumbling
and to present you unblemished and exultant,
in the presence of his glory,
to the only God, our savior,
through Jesus Christ our Lord
be glory, majesty, power, and authority
from ages past, now, and for ages to come. Amen.

Responsorial Psalm PS 63:2, 3-4, 5-6

R. (2b) My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
O God, you are my God whom I seek;
for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts 
like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water. 
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary
to see your power and your glory,
For your kindness is a greater good than life;
my lips shall glorify you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus will I bless you while I live;
lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name.
As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfied,
and with exultant lips my mouth shall praise you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

Alleluia See Col 3:16a, 17c

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Let the word of Christ dwell in your richly;
giving thanks to God the Father through him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mk 11:27-33

Jesus and his disciples returned once more to Jerusalem.
As he was walking in the temple area,
the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders
approached him and said to him,
“By what authority are you doing these things?
Or who gave you this authority to do them?”
Jesus said to them, “I shall ask you one question.
Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 
Was John’s baptism of heavenly or of human origin? Answer me.”
They discussed this among themselves and said,
“If we say, ‘Of heavenly origin,’ he will say,
‘Then why did you not believe him?’
But shall we say, ‘Of human origin’?”– 
they feared the crowd,
for they all thought John really was a prophet.
So they said to Jesus in reply, “We do not know.”
Then Jesus said to them,
“Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

REFLECTION

FALLEN-AWAY CATHOLICS?

"There is One Who can protect you from a fall." –Jude 24 Each of us is in danger of falling away from our "sincere and complete devotion to Christ" (2 Cor 11:3). Even whole

churches can fall away from their love for Christ (see Gal 1:6; Mt 24:12). The majority of Christians will apostatize before Jesus comes a final time (2 Thes 2:3). When Jesus returns, will He find any faith on the earth? (Lk 18:8) "For all these reasons, let anyone who thinks he is standing upright watch out lest he fall!" (1 Cor 10:12)

"There is One Who can protect you from a fall and make you stand unblemished and exultant in the presence of His glory. Glory be to this only God our Savior" (Jude 24-25). Only by God's grace will we be protected from the deceit of Satan, the father of lies (Jn 8:44), who "is prowling like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (1 Pt 5:8). We must resist temptation by growing strong in our "holy faith through prayer in the Holy Spirit" (Jude 20). If we fall into sin, we should repent and go to Confession as soon as possible. The Lord commands: "Submit to God; resist the devil and he will take flight. Draw close to God, and He will draw close to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, you backsliders" (Jas 4:7-8).

We can remain faithful to the Lord no matter what Satan does and no matter how many fall (see Ps 91:7). Repent, confess, grow strong, stand firm in your faith.

PRAYER:	Father, at Jesus' return, may I be a "member in good standing" of Your glorious, holy, and immaculate Church (see Eph 5:27).
PROMISE:	"Your kindness is a greater good than life; my lips shall glorify You." –Ps 63:4
PRAISE:	With confident faith, Sarah prays daily, year after year, for her children and grandchildren to return to the Church.

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The Lord be with you...

Friday, May 27 2016 Friday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 1 Pt 4:7-13

Beloved:
The end of all things is at hand.
Therefore be serious and sober-minded
so that you will be able to pray.
Above all, let your love for one another be intense,
because love covers a multitude of sins.
Be hospitable to one another without complaining.
As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another
as good stewards of God’s varied grace.
Whoever preaches, let it be with the words of God;
whoever serves, let it be with the strength that God supplies,
so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ,
to whom belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Beloved, do not be surprised that a trial by fire is occurring among you,
as if something strange were happening to you.
But rejoice to the extent that you share in the sufferings of Christ,
so that when his glory is revealed
you may also rejoice exultantly.

Responsorial Psalm PS 96:10, 11-12, 13

R. (13b) The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Say among the nations: The LORD is king.
He has made the world firm, not to be moved;
he governs the peoples with equity.
R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!
Then shall all the trees of the forest exult.
R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Before the LORD, for he comes;
for he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with justice
and the peoples with his constancy.
R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.

Alleluia See Jn 15:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I chose you from the world,
to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mk 11:11-26

Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple area.
He looked around at everything and, since it was already late,
went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

The next day as they were leaving Bethany he was hungry.
Seeing from a distance a fig tree in leaf,
he went over to see if he could find anything on it.
When he reached it he found nothing but leaves;
it was not the time for figs.
And he said to it in reply, “May no one ever eat of your fruit again!”
And his disciples heard it.

They came to Jerusalem,
and on entering the temple area
he began to drive out those selling and buying there.
He overturned the tables of the money changers
and the seats of those who were selling doves.
He did not permit anyone to carry anything through the temple area.
Then he taught them saying, “Is it not written:

My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples?
But you have made it a den of thieves.”

The chief priests and the scribes came to hear of it
and were seeking a way to put him to death,
yet they feared him
because the whole crowd was astonished at his teaching.
When evening came, they went out of the city.

Early in the morning, as they were walking along,
they saw the fig tree withered to its roots.
Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look!
The fig tree that you cursed has withered.”
Jesus said to them in reply, “Have faith in God.
Amen, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain,
‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’
and does not doubt in his heart
but believes that what he says will happen,
it shall be done for him.
Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer,
believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours.
When you stand to pray,
forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance,
so that your heavenly Father may in turn
forgive you your transgressions.”

REFLECTION

WHEN YOUR WORLD FALLS APART

"The consummation of all is close at hand." –1 Peter 4:7

When your world is falling apart: 

• "above all, let your love for one another be constant" (1 Pt 4:8), 
• "put your trust in God" (Mk 11:22), 
• "do not be perturbed" (1 Pt 4:7), 
• "remain calm so that you will be able to pray" (1 Pt 4:7), 
• "when you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance" (Mk 11:25), 
• "put your gifts at the service of one another" (1 Pt 4:10), 
• "do not be surprised, beloved, that a trial by fire is occurring in your midst" (1 Pt 4:12), and 
• "rejoice instead, in the measure that you share Christ's sufferings" (1 Pt 4:13). 

To summarize, when "the consummation of all is close at hand," that is, when the world is falling apart, love, trust, pray, forgive, serve, and rejoice. Don't be upset or surprised.

This may seem to be a very unusual way of reacting to the end of the world or of our own world, but we can react this way because of our personal relationship with Jesus. When we have totally surrendered our lives to Him, we can confidently say: "I am certain that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor powers, neither height nor depth nor any other creature, will be able to separate us from the love of God that comes to us in Christ Jesus, our Lord" (Rm 8:38-39). "The Lord is my Light and my Salvation; Whom should I fear?" (Ps 27:1)

PRAYER:	Jesus, may I look forward to the end of the world because of Your final coming.
PROMISE:	"I give you My word, if you are ready to believe that you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer, it shall be done for you." –Mk 11:24
PRAISE:	St. Augustine spread the gospel. He converted the king, and through him thousands of English people.

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The Lord be with you...

Thursday, May 26 2016 Memorial of Saint Philip Neri, Priest

Reading 1 1 Pt 2:2-5, 9-12

Beloved:
Like newborn infants, long for pure spiritual milk
so that through it you may grow into salvation,
for you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings
but chosen and precious in the sight of God,
and, like living stones,
let yourselves be built into a spiritual house
to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, 
a holy nation, a people of his own,
so that you may announce the praises of him
who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Once you were no people
but now you are God’s people;
you had not received mercy
but now you have received mercy.

Beloved, I urge you as aliens and sojourners
to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against the soul.
Maintain good conduct among the Gentiles,
so that if they speak of you as evildoers,
they may observe your good works
and glorify God on the day of visitation.

Responsorial Psalm PS 100:2, 3, 4, 5

R. (2c) Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.
R. Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.
Know that the LORD is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.
R. Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
his courts with praise;
Give thanks to him;
bless his name.
R. Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.
The LORD is good:
his kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations.
R. Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.

Alleluia Jn 8:12

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mk 10:46-52

As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd,
Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus,
sat by the roadside begging.
On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth,
he began to cry out and say,
“Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.” 
And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.
But he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me.”
Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”
So they called the blind man, saying to him,
“Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you.”
He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.
Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?”
The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.”
Jesus told him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.”
Immediately he received his sight
and followed him on the way.

REFLECTION

"IF ANYONE THIRSTS..." (Jn 7:37)

"Be as eager for milk as newborn babies." –1 Peter 2:2

Some of you may have missed out on Pentecost this year because, even after forty days of Lent and fifty days of Easter, you did not thirst that much for the Holy Spirit. Jesus continues to cry out: "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me; let him drink who believes in Me. Scripture has it: 'From within him rivers of living water shall flow.' (Here He was referring to the Spirit)" (Jn 7:37-39).

To receive the Spirit, we must thirst. Thirst is one of the strongest human desires, and the thirst of a nursing baby is one of the best examples of this. Thus, the Lord commands us: "Be as eager for milk as newborn babies – pure milk of the Spirit to make you grow unto salvation" (1 Pt 2:2).

If we were not thirsty on Pentecost Sunday, why, on the Thursday after Pentecost, should we expect to be as thirsty as newborn babies for their mothers' milk? We can be this thirsty because the Lord is at work. This week, the Lord has repeatedly called you to stifle the desires of the flesh and thirst for the things of the Spirit (see Gal 5:17). Although Pentecost Sunday may not have been the time you received the Spirit, you may have at least started to thirst a little more for the things of God. Just the grace to read the Bible teaching in this book is God's way of increasing your thirst for the "pure milk of the Spirit."

Maybe your thirst isn't great, but it is greater. Right now, pray for either a greater thirst or a new Pentecost. Receive Pentecost now or very soon. Thirst as an infant thirsts.

PRAYER:	Father, may I want life in the Spirit more than I want pleasure.
PROMISE:	"Jesus asked him, 'What do you want Me to do for you?' 'Rabboni,' the blind man said, 'I want to see.' Jesus said in reply, 'Be on your way. Your faith has healed you.' " –Mk 10:51-52
PRAISE:	St. Philip was a teacher, but sold all his books, gave to the poor, and became "the lovable saint."

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The Lord be with you...

Wednesday, May 25 2016 Wednesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 1 Pt 1:18-25

Beloved:
Realize that you were ransomed from your futile conduct,
handed on by your ancestors,
not with perishable things like silver or gold
but with the precious Blood of Christ
as of a spotless unblemished Lamb.
He was known before the foundation of the world
but revealed in the final time for you,
who through him believe in God
who raised him from the dead and gave him glory,
so that your faith and hope are in God.

Since you have purified yourselves
by obedience to the truth for sincere brotherly love,
love one another intensely from a pure heart.
You have been born anew,
not from perishable but from imperishable seed,
through the living and abiding word of God, for:

“All flesh is like grass,
and all its glory like the flower of the field;
the grass withers,
and the flower wilts;
but the word of the Lord remains forever.”
This is the word that has been proclaimed to you.

Responsorial Psalm PS 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20

R. (12a) Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your children within you.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has granted peace in your borders;
with the best of wheat he fills you.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation;
his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia Mk 10:45

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Son of Man came to serve,
and to give his life as a ransom for many.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mk 10:32-45

The disciples were on the way, going up to Jerusalem,
and Jesus went ahead of them.
They were amazed, and those who followed were afraid.
Taking the Twelve aside again, he began to tell them
what was going to happen to him.
“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man
will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, 
and they will condemn him to death
and hand him over to the Gentiles who will mock him,
spit upon him, scourge him, and put him to death,
but after three days he will rise.”

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
came to Jesus and said to him,
“Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.”
He replied, “What do you wish me to do for you?”
They answered him,
“Grant that in your glory
we may sit one at your right and the other at your left.”
Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the chalice that I drink
or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?”
They said to him, “We can.”
Jesus said to them, “The chalice that I drink, you will drink,
and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized;
but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give
but is for those for whom it has been prepared.”
When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John.
Jesus summoned them and said to them,
“You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles
lord it over them,
and their great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.
For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

REFLECTION 

IS YOUR LOVE GENUINE?

"By obedience to the truth you have purified yourselves for a genuine love." –1 Peter 1:22

Is your love for your spouse, parents, or children genuine? Almost everyone would automatically answer "Yes." Do you believe that your family members and friends genuinely love you? Early in their lives, most people automatically answer "Yes."

Over the years, however, we usually are forced to conclude that some people's "love" for us has not been genuine. This makes us wonder if we will be sadly disappointed in other people's "love" for us. At some point in our lives, we suspect that even we ourselves have not been totally genuine in our love. Others are surprised that we haven't noticed it earlier.

Why not find out about "genuine love" now? Has your love been preceded by being purified through obedience to the truth? (1 Pt 1:22) If not, it probably isn't genuine. Is your love based on faith, virtue, discernment, self-control, perseverance, piety, and care for your brothers and sisters? (2 Pt 1:5-7) If not, your love probably isn't genuine.

Genuine love is humanly impossible, always accessible by God's grace, and the culminating grace of a great series of graces. Love genuinely.

PRAYER:	Father, send the Holy Spirit of love to teach me to love (see Rm 5:5).
PROMISE:	"Realize that you were delivered from the futile way of life your fathers handed on to you, not by any diminishable sum of silver or gold, but by Christ's blood beyond all price." –1 Pt 1:18-19
PRAISE:	At age 14, her teachers prophesied that Catherine would become a great saint. At age 17, she took the name Mary Magdalene and eventually became St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi.

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The Lord be with you...

Tuesday, May 24 2016 Tuesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 1 Pt 1:10-16

Beloved:
Concerning the salvation of your souls
the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours
searched and investigated it
investigating the time and circumstances
that the Spirit of Christ within them indicated
when it testified in advance
to the sufferings destined for Christ
and the glories to follow them.
It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you
with regard to the things that have now been announced to you
by those who preached the Good News to you
through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven,
things into which angels longed to look.

Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind, live soberly,
and set your hopes completely on the grace to be brought to you
at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Like obedient children,
do not act in compliance with the desires of your former ignorance
but, as he who called you is holy,
be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct,
for it is written, Be holy because I am holy.

Responsorial Psalm PS 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4

R. (2a) The Lord has made known his salvation.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him, 
his holy arm.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.

Alleluia See Mt 11:25

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mk 10:28-31

Peter began to say to Jesus,
“We have given up everything and followed you.”
Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you,
there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters
or mother or father or children or lands
for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel
who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age:
houses and brothers and sisters
and mothers and children and lands,
with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come.
But many that are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

REFLECTION 

THE BATTLE OF DESIRES

"Do not yield to the desires that once shaped you in your ignorance." –1 Peter 1:14

Satan is trying to make us his slaves by pressuring and manipulating us through our carnal desires. He wants us to live "at the level of the flesh" (Eph 2:3) and to die spiritually (Eph 2:1). Therefore, we must "lay aside" our "former way of life and the old self which deteriorates through illusion and desire" (Eph 4:22). We are to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the desires of the flesh" (Rm 13:14). "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires" (Gal 5:24).

Instead of living to fulfill the desires of our flesh, we should hunger and thirst for righteousness' sake (Mt 5:6). We are called to desire and seek first the kingdom of God and His way of righteousness (Mt 6:33). Like Jesus, "with great desire" we must "desire to eat" the new Passover with Him (Lk 22:15, our transl.), that is, celebrate the Eucharist with Jesus.

Finally, both our good and bad desires will be fulfilled. If our carnal desires have not been crucified, they will be "fulfilled" in the selfishness and isolation of damnation in hell. If we have crucified our carnal desires and nourished our godly desires, we will live in love forever, face-to-face with God in heaven. Desire the Lord's desires.

PRAYER:	Jesus, be Lord of my desires.
PROMISE:	"There is no one who has given up home, brothers or sisters, mother or father, children or property, for Me and for the gospel who will not receive in this present age a hundred times as many homes, brothers and sisters, mothers, children and property – and persecution besides – and in the age to come, everlasting life." –Mk 10:29-30
PRAISE:	Timothy gave up family, home, and property to become a missionary for the Lord Jesus.

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The Lord be with you...

Monday, May 23 2016 Monday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 1 Pt 1:3-9

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading,
kept in heaven for you
who by the power of God are safeguarded through faith,
to a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time.
In this you rejoice, although now for a little while
you may have to suffer through various trials,
so that the genuineness of your faith,
more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire,
may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor
at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Although you have not seen him you love him;
even though you do not see him now yet you believe in him,
you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy,
as you attain the goal of faith, the salvation of your souls.

Responsorial Psalm PS 111:1-2, 5-6, 9 and 10c

R. (5) The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart
in the company and assembly of the just.
Great are the works of the LORD,
exquisite in all their delights.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has given food to those who fear him;
he will forever be mindful of his covenant.
He has made known to his people the power of his works,
giving them the inheritance of the nations.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has sent deliverance to his people;
he has ratified his covenant forever;
holy and awesome is his name.
His praise endures forever.
R. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia 2 Cor 8:9

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus Christ became poor although he was rich,
so that by his poverty you might become rich.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mk 10:17-27

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up,
knelt down before him, and asked him,
“Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus answered him, “Why do you call me good?
No one is good but God alone.
You know the commandments: You shall not kill;
you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness;
you shall not defraud;
honor your father and your mother.”
He replied and said to him,
“Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.” 
Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him,
“You are lacking in one thing.
Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor
and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”
At that statement, his face fell,
and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples,
“How hard it is for those who have wealth
to enter the Kingdom of God!”
The disciples were amazed at his words.
So Jesus again said to them in reply,
“Children, how hard it is to enter the Kingdom of God!
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle
than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.”
They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves,
“Then who can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said,
“For men it is impossible, but not for God.
All things are possible for God.”

REFLECTION

LOSING EVERYTHING TO BE SAVED

"Then who can be saved?" –Mark 10:26

We should rejoice when we "suffer the distress of many trials" (1 Pt 1:6), if these trials will help us achieve "faith's goal, [our] salvation" (1 Pt 1:9). We should be quite willing to sell everything we have and give the proceeds to the poor (Mk 10:21), if this is the way the Lord wants us to work out our salvation (Phil 2:12). We should even be willing to die at a young age "lest wickedness pervert" our minds "or deceit beguile" our souls (Wis 4:11). We have only one goal in life: to be saved. We will lose everything to gain our salvation (Lk 9:24).

I invite and challenge you to pray to the Lord: "I accept salvation – no matter what it takes." By praying this prayer, you are: 

• saying that you will sacrifice everything to be saved, 
• trusting in the Lord, 
• increasing the likelihood of more sufferings in your life, 
• increasing the likelihood of more joy in your life (see Col 1:24), 
• making your life more simple, 
• making your life more counter-cultural, and you therefore are more likely to be persecuted, and 
• expressing the ultimate freedom. 

Jesus is our Savior. Only through His name can we be saved (Acts 4:12). This is the only meaning of life. Accept Jesus as your Savior.

PRAYER:	Father, I put my life in Your hands.
PROMISE:	"Praised be the God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, He Who in His great mercy gave us new birth." –1 Pt 1:3
PRAISE:	George was an addict to whom a "fix" was everything, but gave it up for He Who is All in All.

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The Lord be with you...